Happy New Years guys! Excited for a new chapter? I know I am, let's do it!

Lightning rained down, crashing into the roof of the old compound sending debris flying in different directions. Rubble was scattered across the roof and black fire raged all around them covering the woods in an unquenchable thirst for scorching destruction. The figure on the right lay surrounded by pieces of destroyed cement and brimstone.

Collapsing from the battle in exhaustion Sasuke fell to his knees, closing his eyes to rest after returning back to their normal black from the three tomoe sharingan.

"It's done." He panted out. "It's finally over."

Sighing with sleep closing in he heard a voice he was not expecting.

"Is this, the death you had imagined for me then?" Questioned a battered Itachi now stumbling to his feet.

Sasuke's eyes snapped open. Bringing his gaze upwards he stared at a now standing Itachi. In a rage, Sasuke activated his curse mark. The red flames spreading across his body covering him and turning his skin a sickly gray color.

"Damn You!" He yelled at Itachi. Sasuke watched as a red flame like chakra surged around Itachi and from it a skeletal figure began to appear.

Blood dripped from Itachi's mouth as he smirked. "If I hadn't had this, I'd have been dead." Itachi looked up at Sasuke, now opening his right eye. "You really have gotten stronger, Sasuke."

Sasuke swallowed.

"Now it's my turn. I'm going to reveal to you my final trump card." Itachi stated with a look that sent chills down Sasuke's spine. "The Susanoo."

"The Susanoo?" Sasuke questioned preparing himself for an attack.

"Yes, the one other jutsu. Once the Tsukuyomi and the Amaterasu are awakened, it also took root in these eyes of mine. Sasuke is that it for your jutsu then? If you have anything else up your sleeve, now is your last chance to play it. The real battle is just beginning."

Tendons and muscle tissue began to form around the skeletal figure hovering above Itachi. Skin began to crawl over top of the muscle tissue and an armor like appearance was given to the figure. Glowing yellow eyes could be seen piercing through the red chakra, emanating its malevolent presence. A lion's mane napped over top of the figure like a cloak and a darker red chakra formed giving it the appearance of a shield.

"What's the matter?" Itachi asked. "You use up all your chakra and run out of options?"

"What?" Sasuke asked. Pain coursing through his body as he struggled to keep just his right sharingan active. The other already being returned to a golden iris with a black slit pupil.

'I can give it to you.' Sasuke heard Orochimaru speak. Sasuke shook his head as he grasped at his left shoulder. 'I can lend you the power that you need.'

"Dammit!" Sasuke yelled.

'You need me, don't you dear Sasuke?' Orochimaru taunted from the confines of Sasuke's mind. Sasuke fell to his knees in pain, raking at the curse mark. 'I thought that you wanted to take revenge on Itachi. Now release me. Release my power and you can finally fulfill your dream at last.'

Eight white serpent snakes erupted from Sasuke's shoulder as he screamed in pain. Itachi watched on as his younger brother wreathed.

"That feels like, Orochimaru's eight headed serpent jutsu." Itachi stated looking at the large roaring and hissing snakes.

The Susanoo and serpents made their way towards one another. The Susanoo pulled out a large sword made of fire as the snakes charged. Cutting off one of the heads, the Susanoo prepared to strike again. Three snake heads struck as the chakra being defended with its shield. Knocked back, the snakes were helpless as the sword cut through their necks splattering blood everywhere. Three of the remaining four heads wrapped around the Susanoo constricting it. Slicing through the necks of these as well, only one head remained. The last snake head opened its mouth revealing a bile covered Orochimaru.

"And now it finally emerges." Itachi commented as he stared at the snake and Orochimaru.

Orochimaru chuckling began coughing, leading to him regurgitating the hilt of a sword bringing it out of his mouth revealing the blade as well.

"This is it. This is what I've been waiting for!" Orochimaru exclaimed. "Thanks to you, the repressive chakra is gone, and now at last, I have a chance to take over this child's body for good!"

Itachi who had slowly been closing his eyes now snapped them open. The Susanoo's sword struck quickly, piercing Orochimaru.

He chuckled once more. "Did you truly believe that a puny attack like that could take down the likes of me?" Orochimaru gasped, face in shock.

"Well Sasuke, what will you do next then?" Itachi asked.

"This sword! It can't be! The totska blade!" As the Susanoo drew its sword back out of Orochimaru his body began to follow. "Itachi, it was hidden in you all along." His voice becoming raspy as more of him became attached to the blade pulling him out of Sasuke. The eight headed serpent and Orochimaru alike was swallowed by the sword sending them into a genjutsu world of drunk and stupor for all eternity.

"This is it Sasuke." Itachi said as he looked at his younger brother. Itachi began gasping for air and coughing blood. "And now your eyes are mine. I'll take my time retrieving them." He stated. A wave of pain cast over Itachi making him grasp at his chest where his heart was. He coughed a considerable amount of blood into his hand. He fell to his knees in pain and struggled to catch his breath as his Susanoo disappeared.

Sasuke pulled out a kunai with a paper bomb and threw it at Itachi causing dust to rise. As the dust cleared, once again Itachi stood with the shield of his Susanoo blocking where the explosive would have landed. Itachi shambled his way forward, meanwhile Sasuke began retreating backwards.

"Dammit!" Sasuke yelled, sending another kunai with a string of paper bombs attached at Itachi. Once again the chakra shield defended Itachi from the blast.

"They're my eyes. They're mine." Itachi stated proudly as he began to lift his hand towards Sasuke.

Sasuke shuddered and pulled out his sword. Screaming he jumped towards the shield attempting to pierce it with no luck. He was sent sprawling backwards against a wall as his sword flew through the air landing who knows where. Sasuke lay on his back as Itachi now stands in front of him. Getting to his feet quickly and backing into the wall he watches on in horror as Itachi lifts his hand towards him. Sasuke's knees rattle and his breath hitches as Itachi brings his hand towards Sasuke's face.

Click, click. Sasuke's head snapped up in sheer terror. His fists clinched into balls so hard his knuckles were white.

"Dammit, I told Sasuke to wait until lat-" Naruto cut his sentence short as he saw Sasuke sitting in his kitchen. By the terrified look on his face Naruto could only guess he was searching through some of his memories.

"Hey! Sasuke! What's got you so spooked?"

Sasuke now coming back to reality looked at Naruto. "What was that I just saw?"

Naruto frowned as he looked at his best friend. "You're gonna have to be more specific than that ya know."

"What I just saw. It was a fight, between Itachi and I. It was like I was living the whole damn thing!" Sasuke yelled at him.

Naruto saw the pained expression on his friend's face. "That's because you did live it."

"I what?" Sasuke asked now confused. "But I was older, which means it hasn't happened yet. So how could I have lived it? Is this some premonition thing?"

Naruto grunted. "You've lived it because that's what happened in the last timeline. It could also be what happens in this timeline too."

"You're being vague, I need answers."

"You're in for a long story then." Naruto sighed. He then began to relate all of the details he could to Sasuke as fast as he could since he was stressed for time now. He answered any questions freely as Sasuke rattled them off. Of course he was most curious about how his and Itachi's fight ended to which Naruto simply stated "remember it." Not exactly what Sasuke wanted to hear but at this point from what Naruto had told him and what else he could remember he assumed he won.

"I won right?"

"I wouldn't put it that way."

"What do you mean?"

"Just remember what happened it will all be clear."

"There's that stupid answer again. I don't have time for this." Sasuke stood up and began making his way to the door.

"Oh yes you do. Because if you go out there believing that none of what you did the last time will happen again, then you're clearly not the great Uchiha everyone thinks you are after all." Naruto said standing up from his chair. Naruto gave a glare radiating power that about tore through Sasuke almost daring him to follow the same path.

"What did you say loser?" Sasuke turned on his heel to look Naruto in the eyes.

"You heard me. Just think about it, if any of what I said wasn't true how'd you even know how to get in to my apartment, which by the way is kind of illegal, especially it being MY apartment."

"I just knew where the key was."

"How Sasuke? I haven't told you where I put the key."

"Yes you did."

"When?"

"That day we were with Kakashi and Sakura after training." Naruto waited for Sasuke to figure out what he had just stated. "Which hasn't happened yet." Sasuke finished saying after a brief pause. "I'll consider what you told me to be true, but not until I have more proof."

"That's fine with me, now if you excuse me, I have to get ready to steal the hokage's forbidden scroll." The nonchalant way that rolled off Naruto's tongue bothered Sasuke slightly but he decided to shrug it off.

Sasuke began heading out the door before he saw a large orange flash pulse against the doorframe. Craning his neck to check for Naruto he found nothing but an empty apartment. Sasuke took a breath as he considered Naruto's words. Shutting the door and locking it, remembering what some of the villagers would do at times when the boy wasn't home, he turned on his heel and headed home to his apartment to maul over what he just learned and maybe to brood some as well.

XXX

A flash of orange appeared inside the hokage's office. A stunned Sarutobi watched as Naruto appeared in front of him. Standing to greet him he smiled.

"Naruto. So you mastered your father's jutsu after all." Sarutobi had faith in the boy that he would one day learn it and surpass his father.

"Yeah, I actually only just figured it out a few years ago actually." Naruto said rubbing the back of his head. "If it hadn't been for Hinata helping me with some chakra control I doubt I would ever have had it down. Although bragging isn't the main reason I came here."

"It is about Mizuki yes?" Sarutobi had already known about Naruto stealing the scroll in the previous timeline but since he graduated this time around he was curious to what role Mizuki had wanted to attempt this time.

"Yeah. He still wants me to steal the scroll. He told us that if we successfully retrieve the forbidden scroll for him, it would make us chunin." Naruto made his way over and looked out the window towards the Hyuuga complex wondering how Hinata was going to get this past her clan.

"Naruto you said we am I correct? Who might this other person be that Mizuki wants to steal the scroll?" Naruto not averting his gaze from the complex gave his one word answer to Sarutobi.

"Hinata."

"Mmmm. I see, so this time around he has brought young Hinata into this as well has he?" He asked rhetorically. "What might be the reasoning behind this do you think Naruto?"

Looking towards the forest where Mizuki wanted them to meet him he thought. "Mizuki wants to steal the scroll for Orochimaru. My guess since Orochimaru is hungry for kekkei genkai he thinks bringing him an unsealed byakugan will help gain him some leverage with Orochimaru."

"That certainly does put things in perspective. So what do you plan on doing about this?"

"I'm going to stop him. No one lays a hand on her, and if he so much as hurts her, I'll beat him in the ground." Naruto looked at the old man. While his face revealed light traces of worry, he would applaud Naruto. He would do the same for his wife were she still alive. In his opinion a man should always protect their wife, not because they're weak, no, but because a man is to protect what he holds dearly. Seeing that trait in Naruto definitely makes him proud for Naruto to be hokage one day.

"What do you need done Naruto?" The old man asked. Finally regaining his thoughts.

"Weaken the guard on the scroll tonight old man, and after we steal the scroll send the chunin out to find us. Iruka-sensei should be the one to find us alongside Mizuki. After that, we'll spring our trap, but only when the time is right." Naruto grinned mischievously, it was not something Sarutobi had always liked seeing but in this instance he would allow it.

"I'll have it done Naruto." Naruto stood up preparing to leave. As he turned away from the third hokage he heard him say something. "Keep her safe Naruto."

"With my life." Sarutobi smiled as the orange came and went in a blink of an eye.

XXX

Returning back to his apartment Naruto sighed. The day had seemed to drag along. Sitting on his bed he meditated and gathered nature chakra. Feeling the presence of the entirety of the leaf village he let out a breath. He held out his hand and a rasengan appeared. An orange one much like what he was used to seeing since he was about eighteen. It felt oddly relaxing watching the spinning orb of chakra. Cancelling the orb he stood up and checked on his ninja gear. His kunai were sharpened and shurikens counted. He had an extra scroll so he decided to put that in his pouch as well.

Turning to the door he made the few short steps and exited, making sure to lock it and headed out to the meeting spot with Hinata. The night air brisk on his skin as he leapt rooftop to rooftop until he reached the point he was looking for. Dropping down into the alley from earlier he stood against the wall. The moonlight was shining in such a way that the part he was standing in was shadowed. 'Once Hinata gets here we'll begin this.'

'Naruto I've been thinking about how we can get you back to your own time. I have a couple ideas.' The ninetails voice came from inside his mind pulling Naruto into the shared area.

'Let me hear 'em' Naruto quickly responded.

'Well since it will obviously take a lot of chakra to head forward we have two options. One, once you find Bolt you can train his chakra levels up to the level at which you are at. That would take about fifteen years at the very least so by that point it would be almost detrimental.'

'Ok, and the second option?' Naruto asked.

'You aren't going to like it.' The nine tails told him. Naruto gave him the 'tell me' look so Kurama sighed. 'We make Bolt the ten-tails jinchuriki.'

OOOOH plot twist! Let me know what you guys think of this chapter. I hope to get more chapters out faster, and I know I say that every time, but I have revamped my memory of what I wanted to do with this story and even added a couple of new things too.

So anyways make sure to favorite/follow/review. Also let's see if we can hit 230 reviews with this one you guys! I'd really appreciate the feedback.

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance you must keep moving. ~ Albert Einstein.

See ya next time!

Dcept